Although Chet Baker was not known as an extraordinarily technical musician (his best solos were memorable for their lyricism and melody, not for their speed or use of the trumpet's high registers), he was a consummate improviser, capable of much of to surpass his contemporaries. Taking this into account, it is very special how cheerful and technically gifted Baker's playing sounds on these live
… recordings from 1987, accompanied by pianist Harold Danko and the Dutch Hein Van De Geyn (bass) and John Engels (drums). In standards like For Minors Only, Four and Seven Steps To Heaven, Baker proves that - despite his drug addiction - he can still play up tempo as well as anyone in his generation. He also performs memorable versions of My Funny Valentine and Elvis Costello's ballad Almost Blue. Both compositions became Baker's trademarks representing the beginning and the end of his career respectively. Baker's performance on this double CD can be regarded as his best recorded live performance of the eighties.more
